Comment against nurses: AAP Kerala unit says sorry

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kerala unit on Tuesday expressed its regrets over the comment made by party national council member Kumar Viswas against Kerala nurses.

The party’s Kochi office was vandalized by protestors on Monday and effigy of Kumar Viswas was burnt at a number of places. “We have great respect for Malayalee nurses and their contributions. His comment was culled out from a speech he made in 2008. We have contacted our party leadership to persuade Viswas to tender a personal apology,” said senior state leaders Manoj Padmanabhan and K P Ratheesh.

However they deplored attack on their Kochi office. Youth Congress activists had attacked its office on Monday. The AAP leaders asked the Youth Congress and Mahila Congress activists to first support the agitation of nurses if they were really concerned over their cause. Malayalam writer Sara Joseph, who joined the

AAP last week, also criticized the remark of Viswas.

The 20-minute video clip, that turned viral, Viswas was seen making a reference to dark skin. “Earlier when we fell sick and went to the hospital … there would nurses “kaali peeli si” (reference to dark complexion) from Kerala for whom the word sister would automatically emerge,” he’s heard saying with some gestures.

The Kerala United Nurses Association has said it would take legal action if he failed to tender an unconditional apology and withdraw his ‘racist’ remarks in a week.